


Tomlinsons In Central Park

by unintentionalove



Series: The Tomlinsons [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Future Fic, Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-12
Updated: 2015-10-12
Packaged: 2018-04-26 01:48:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4985299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unintentionalove/pseuds/unintentionalove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry and Louis take their first child on her very first public outing some years in the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tomlinsons In Central Park

The shiny black car glided along the city street at a particularly fast pace for Manhattan. Louis had grown used to sitting still in cars over the past eight years. They had been there through the good times and the bad- sometimes a nightmarish reminder of current events that were growing ever more hazy in his memory, and sometimes a beautiful haven of peace and refuge from the insanity outside. Still, Louis had never perfected patience, and his knee began to bounce up and down. Harry gave him a sidelong glance. 

“You keep that up you’re likely to wake her up”, Harry said as his eyes moved from Louis to the seat behind them. A softly cooing, dozing, ten pound bunch met his eyes as he raked them backward.

“Sorry, I just can’t help but wonder if we’re doing the right thing. Is it too soon? It seems so exposed.” Harry’s eyes softened as he brought them back to Louis. 

“Lou, we knew this was coming. It’s been three weeks we’ve had her all to ourselves. And what did we agree last night? We’d rather be in control of the first pictures than have people swamp her. She’s brave like you, she’ll do brilliant.”

“And you’re not nervous, eh curly? You hate crowds outside of work.”

“I hate crowds inside of work, too. But it’s part of the job and I’ve got you with me. I’ll be fine. Today is about her. Darcy’s debut. Sounds like a movie!” Harry laughed as he reached back to adjust the blanket that lay over Darcy’s legs and Louis snickered. 

“Maybe she’ll have the acting career they keep trying to get you to have.” He wheezed a laugh, but hushed himself as the baby began to stir. “I’d rather she sleep through the whole thing, to be honest”, Louis said to no one in particular, but Harry still nodded his head in agreement. The car slid up to the curbside outside an entrance to Central Park and Louis sucked in his breath. He could see Harry squaring his shoulders out of his peripherals. Harry, who dreaded large crowds of people and flurries of attention but knew how to navigate them better than Louis ever gave him credit for. Harry, who was always gracious and charming and welcoming– even when people got out of hand. 

It had been nearly two years since they’d gone public with their relationship. Here on the other side of their fifth anniversary together, steaming without sign of stopping towards their tenth, things were warm and comfortable like the mid-autumn sunshine that awaited them outside. A year ago, they’d finally had their “public wedding” as Harry liked to call it. Everyone around them knew they were committed anyway, but now the world not only knew, they’d settled into it. A year after that glorious day, they’d welcomed their first child, Darcy JoAnne. Louis had wanted twins: “They run in me family, after all” he’d told Harry, but Harry had gotten him to compromise to one now, two later. “We’ll ask Lot”, Harry had said, which had earned guffaws from Louis at first, but he was softening to the idea.

She’d arrived on a rainy late-September morning, only two days before their wedding anniversary. She was seven pounds of pure perfection, their surrogate, carefully selected from an agency in Britain, had handed her over and congratulated “the new dads” on their first daughter. It had been the best day of their lives, exceeding the day they had met and the day they had come out and even the day they’d gotten married. “Not a dry eye in the house, you’ve left Ms. Darcy JoAnne”, Louis cooed as he cradled her head. Anne and Jay daubing at their eyes with Gemma and Lottie snapping picture after picture. 

They’d declined newborn photo shoots for People and others, but instead had opted for private family time until she was nearly a month old and a planned walk through Central Park with a photographer nearby. It made sense now that they spent so much of their time in Manhattan, where they could exist discretely and have the advantage of a quicker flight back to the UK. They’d spent time after Darcy was born in Cheshire, but had flown back just for this walk. 

“Mr. Tomlinson, Mr. Styles. I’ll pick you up at this entrance in an hour, sirs.”

“See, love. Not too terribly long. Are you ready?” Harry nodded and reached to open the door. The slightly cool air greeted him as he stepped out of the car. 

“Give me the Ergo, Lou”, Harry said as he reached back into the car. 

“Nah, nah, nah. I’m gonna be carrying her today, Haz.”

Harry’s face changed in an instant. He stepped back and folded his arms across his chest. 

“Excuse me? I do believe I said to give me the Ergo.”

“Hazza, we can fight about this for the next hour and then we’ll have to come back and do it all over again, or you can let me carry the baby. The Ergo fits me better, anyway, and you know I can’t work that bloody pram to save my life. You wanted attachment parenting and now you’ve got it. I’m carrying the baby.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed and his mouth pursed as he heaved a sigh. Louis was right, the Ergo did fit him better and he was shit at working the carriage they’d bought for her. They’d tried it again just last night and Louis had been cursing up a storm as he kicked at levers and buttons and brakes. 

Harry helped Louis strap the Ergo around himself, and then reached back into the car to unbuckle the baby. She began to fuss as he lifted her from the seat. 

“Shh, shh, shh. It’s okay, love. Daddy’s got you. You’re going to go with Papa today.” He carefully adjusted her and placed her down in the Ergo on Louis’ chest, checking to make sure her legs were situated properly. Louis instinctively wrapped a hand around the front and cupped her head with his other hand. 

“I’ve got her. She’s good. Aren’t you, bug?” Harry crinkled his eyes in a smile whenever Louis called her “bug” and today was no exception. He stood back for a moment and admired him, just like he always did whenever he caught himself in a moment with Louis. He was a good person to admire. A man approached with a professional camera around his neck. 

“’Ello John.” Louis said without looking up from Darcy’s face. 

“Don’t worry about me, you two. You’ll barely know I’m here today. Just go on about your business.”

“Oh, right, like there’s not someone following us. You think we’d have gotten used to it by now, eh?” Louis ribbed. 

Harry emerged from the back of the car with the carriage and Preston and began to fold it up as John began to snap pictures. “Might as well make it natural”, Louis said, “You know I’ve always loved that coat on you, Haz. How long have you had that thing, though?”

“2014. Nearly three years.”

“You think you could afford better, to be honest.” 

Preston signaled to both of them, “I’ll be behind you only a few steps the whole time. We’ve got people placed along the route, too.”

“Right. Act natural.” Louis ribbed again.

They began to walk and Harry pushed the stroller. This was always the calm before the storm, before people realized there was someone famous pap walking in Central Park again. The locals never cared, they might turn their head to look and see who was causing the fuss– but the tourists, they cared. A celebrity sighting was just the thing to cap off a vacation to Manhattan. As always, Harry was put on service duty. Louis always tried to be as gracious as possible, and he truly loved their fans, but he was guarded from past scars, and even more so with Darcy in tow, his protective guard would be up and Harry knew it.

“Just remember, she’s safe. And I love you”, Harry bent slightly to whisper in Louis’ ear. Louis leaned in closer.

“Don’t be nervous. I’m here, and I love you, too.”

Louis hugged Darcy closer. Harry grasped his hand with one and the carriage with the other. As they progressed through the park, people’s head began to turn. As if on clockwork, Harry heard someone say, “Is that Harry Styles?” He sighed a small sigh. “No”, he thought, “Not Harry Styles. Figment of your imagination. Nothing to see here.” Louis must have heard it, too, because he squeezed his hand tighter. 

“You’re always the first to get recognized”, he joked, and Harry laughed out loud. Harry’s laugh always made Louis laugh in turn, it was loud and usually out of place, but it was one of Louis’ favorite sounds. When he’d met Harry seven years ago, it was one of the first things he’d noticed. Besides Harry’s curls, which were another favorite, or the way he smelled the first time he hugged him. 

“Earth to Lou”, Harry said just above a whisper. “Are you thinking about that Warhol piece again? I still say it’s too much for the flat. But maybe the LA house could take it.”

Louis laughed. He’d forgotten all about this discussion from last night. “I mean, it’s an original Warhol, Haz, and those don’t stay for sale for long. Especially not for private buyers. I agree, though, LA over New York.” Harry’s smile lit up anytime Louis agreed with an idea or suggestion of his. Seven years later, and that still hadn’t changed. Harry loved it when Louis justified him, agreed with him, or told him he was right in any capacity. “Took me long enough to even convince you to think about it, really. I’m shocked it’s still available.”

“Well they don’t say you’ll be the first one to go broke for nothing, Lou. The price on that thing is outrageous.”

“It’s a Warhol, Harry. A Warhol.” Harry laughed again.

This was their life now, their reality. Married, working, walking through Central Park in mid-October with their baby girl snuggled against Louis’ chest, calmly talking about art pieces they wanted to purchase. The stark difference two years had made in their lives wasn’t lost on either Harry or Louis. They rarely talked about the dark days anymore, preferring instead to focus on their future. Harry was writing and so was Louis, Harry spent his mornings perfecting his omelette crafting and going running (and trying to convince Louis to join him, to no avail), and Louis had had nearly two brilliant years to sleep in before Darcy’s arrival. He didn’t do it much anymore these days, but he always happily exclaimed at 3 AM nappy changes, “It’s a much better reason to lose sleep.”

John came up alongside them. “If we want to get her face for the pictures, we’ll need to take her out of the carrier.”

Louis’ eyes narrowed. He never got to carry the baby, Harry had trouble sharing that responsibility. The thought of putting her down now was not a happy one. He began to open his mouth to fight back, but Harry interjected.

“We’ll be happy to, just give us a minute.” Louis side-eyed Harry and huffed his breath out in one puff. Harry reached around the pram and firmly grasped Darcy by both sides. 

“Watch her head”, Louis said as reached up. 

“I’ve got her, Lou, don’t worry.” Harry held her cradled in his arms and tucked the blanket into the crook. 

“You’re not going to put her in the pram?”

“Give me a minute. I think she may be hungry.” Darcy began to wriggle and fuss in Harry’s arms. 

“There’s a bench just up there. We can take a break and feed her”, Louis suggested. 

“Hate to break it to you, but the Tomlinsons don’t get breaks.” 

“Was… was that a pun, Harold? Now of all times?” Harry laughed his loud laugh again as Darcy’s squirming grew more fast and furious. They made it to the bench and Louis brought the diaper bag up to began rifling through it for a cloth and bottle. “Oh, by the way, I got a call from Liam this morning.”

“How is the old chap?” Harry joked.

“He’s going to be in New York next weekend, wants to know if we’re free. Seems Mr. Big Rockstar Horan is gonna be here, too. Wants all five of us to get together.”

“Five?” Harry arched an eyebrow. “Zayn is in town?”

“Looks that way.”

“You alright, then? The two of you haven’t spoken in months.”

“Harold, that entire thing was almost three years ago. We’ve cut it out and buried the hatchet. I’m fine.”

Harry knew he wasn’t fine. Zayn was a sensitive subject for Louis. Once best friends, the best of the best, and Louis, when genuinely hurt by someone, did not always let it go so easily. He knew it was better to drop it, though, than press the issue. If Liam wanted them all to get together and Louis was mentioning it, then he wanted it to happen. 

“Well it’s been long enough since we’ve all seen each other. May as well”. Harry said. Louis nodded, so Harry considered it case closed. “Would you like to pat her while I get resituated?”

Louis held Darcy close to his chest and began thumping her back. “Is that a burp there, bug? A big one for Papa? Oh yes, a nice big burp please!” Louis’ baby talk cracked a smile on Harry’s face as he bent down to place the empty bottle in the diaper bag. 

“We’ll have to get home soon. She’ll need a nappy change soon and I don’t want to be out for that.” Louis nodded again, and gracefully reached one hand to his jacket pocket to take out his cell phone and check the time. 

“We’ve got about fifteen more minutes. We should go to the fountain. Too bad we don’t have time for the seals, eh?” Harry’s eyes narrowed again. 

“Not funny, Lou.” Louis loved making off-color jokes and seeing Harry squirm. He tipped his head back and laughed from his belly and Darcy began to wiggle furiously as she was shaken slightly. 

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help meself.” Louis adjusted Darcy back into the Ergo and walked toward the fountain. Harry trotted to catch up and grabbed Louis’ hand. “It’s alright, love. People have actually been quite decent today.” 

“I think that’s the security team”, Harry said. Still, it was a relief to enjoy themselves without being swamped. One of the many precious things that had changed in the past two years. You could get used to people staring and doubletaking and craning their heads an whispering, but the mobs had more or less dissipated. Louis sat down on the fountain’s edge and began to splash his hand in the water.

“Oooh, look, buggie! Cold water! Shall we splash it on Daddy?” 

“Still weird for you to call me ‘Daddy’”

“Easy, Haz. Later.” Louis gave him a saucy wink and splashed droplets of water on his face. 

“This water is filthy, Lou.” 

“All the better to splash you with, my dear!” As he slapped more water Harry’s way. 

Harry reached down to peck Louis’ lips. It was still nerve racking, kissing him in public. Harry loved it, Louis loved it even more. Still, what Harry heard when he leaned in for the kiss was camera shutters. It was strange not to care that this would be in a magazine spread tomorrow.

“Harry? Louis? It’s time to go.” Preston guided Harry by the elbow. “Entrance is that way”, he pointed. 

“What a beautiful day it’s been!” Louis exclaimed. Indeed, it had. A crisp October afternoon with orange leaves falling and golden sunshine filtering through what was left of the trees. Soon, it would be Halloween, a perpetual favorite of theirs. They’d planned on making Darcy a pumpkin at first, but Louis had complained that “all babies were pumpkins on Halloween”, so they decided to make her an apple costume. Louis was going to be a wash bin and Harry was going to be a sandwich board advertising a bobbing for apples contest.

As they approached the entrance, a voice said, “Louis Tomlinson?”

“See. It took me all that time for someone to recognize me, not you.” Louis winked at Harry. Harry grasped Darcy by her sides again and lifted her out of the Ergo. 

“Daddy’s got you again, Little D. You like it better here, don’t you?” Harry teased Louis.

“Oh sure, up against that scratchy Burberry coat. Yeah. It’s her favorite place.”

Harry laughed and stuck a pinkie finger in Darcy’s mouth as the car pulled up alongside the curb. Louis gracefully grasped the door handle and slid the door open for Harry. “After you my love.”

“Here, take the baby.” 

Harry climbed in first and Louis passed Darcy along to Harry before climbing in himself. As he slid the door closed and Harry buckled the baby into the seat, his phone began to buzz.

“’Ello again, John. Listen, thanks for all your help!” Harry watched Louis nod a bit as he fastened the straps tighter.

“What’d he say?” Harry asked as Louis lowered the phone.

“Said he got some great shots. Headline tomorrow: ‘Darcy’s Debut: The Tomlinson-Styles Clan on a Stroll Through Central Park!’ It’s about time we had some good memories with that damn place.”

“Lou, don’t swear in front of the baby.”

“Whose gonna fookin’ stop me? You, Harold?”

“I’ll sit on you.”

“So long as it’s on my face.”

Harry threw his head back and laughed and planted a kiss on Louis’ lips as the car slid away from the curbside and headed back toward home.


End file.
